Celebrating Minerva
by Errol's Feather
Summary: Hermione has noticed that Minerva has been rather sad lately and wonders why. When she finds out she decides to do something about it, with a little help from her friends. First in the Fairytale series


**_Authors Note: _**So I figured I would try to go with the Disney way of telling a story, not sure how well it turned out. This is how I wished to go about it:A land far far away. A damsel in distress. A charming prince. A sarcastic sidekick for comic relief. A frightful villain. (And his/her evil henchmen.) A seemingly impossible set of circumstances to overcome. A surprisingly heroic moment. A sneaky assist from a secondary character. A potentially fatal occurrence. Magic. Happily ever after.

* * *

**_Celebrating Minerva  
_**

It started like every other Fairytale in a land far far away it was a damsel in distress. Well the land wasn't that far away, it was only that it was not that many that knew of the wizzarding world. Of course the trouble would occur in a castle, and the damsel in question would be Minerva McGonagall.

No one knew of course as no one would think twice about looking at the headmistress. No one but Hermione, the young student had over the past few days witnessed that the old witch had seemed more withdrawn and her eyes was looking really sad. As Hermione had always liked the old lady and looked upon her as someone that gave her great guidance, she decided she would find what made her professor act like this. After all she knew she would always come to her professor in the hour of need so why not the other way around.

So the next day she saw her in the hallway, she called after her, "Professor McGonagall!"

The elderly witch stopped and turned, looking at her with questioning eyes. She waited for the younger witch to come over before she asked, "What can I do for you, Miss Granger?"

"Well lately I have noticed you are not seemingly okay, so is there anything I can do to help?" Hermione said, feeling foolish to ask.

"I'm fine Hermione you really shouldn't worry," said Minerva, wondering if her sad state was that obvious.

"But you are not, please," Hermione said. Those hazel eyes of hers shining with a great deal of concern.

"As you know it has been a bit over a year since Dumbledore died and he was a great friend of mine. Of course there will be times I think of him more often, like now," she said with a very heavy sigh.

"Why is that?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Because in about a week it is my birthday. Not many know, the few that do doesn't make bit fuzz about it. Albus however always made sure that day was special, and that is one of the many reasons I am sad that he is gone," She said.

"Oh Minerva, I had no idea," Hermione said, without thinking she had used her first name.

"As I said, you shouldn't worry, I'm just being silly," said Minerva, giving her a nod and continued down the hallway with hanging head. Hermione just looked after her, her eyes still concerned, thinking that there must be something that could be done.

* * *

That night Hermione apparated herself to the burrow where she would find Ron and the Weasley's busy as always. Ronald as always spotted her right away and gave his girl a kiss, before they sat down on the couch. As he could tell something was wrong, he asked, "What's the matter, Mione, not happy to see me?"

"Of course I am, it's just Minerva," said Hermione.

"I'm not following," he said, giving her his regular confused look.

"Well she's been so sad lately, and she said that she's really missing Albus, he always made a fuzz of her birthday. Now that he is gone no one cares, it is horrible," said Hermione frustrated.

"So what are you going to do?" said he.

"I really don't know," said Hermione, face in her hands. She didn't know why but this was really upsetting her.

"You are going to throw her a party of course, we all are," she heard Harry say from behind. He and Ginny had just come inside and he had heard part of the conversation.

"A party that is brilliant, you're brilliant Harry," she said, got up and hugged him.

"Don't mind me, I'm just the boyfriend," said Ron in a sour tone.

"So how do you wish to do it?" asked Ginny curiously.

"If we could make a big surprise party of some kind," said Hermione.

"That sounds doable," said Ginny and smiled at her.

"In a week?" asked she.

"Of course, mom!" Ginny called out, making Mrs. Weasley appear in the living room not a second after. She looked at the asking, "Are you all okay?"

"We are, but I was wondering could you make a big birthday cake?" said Ginny, looking at her mother with hopeful eyes.

"I can, who is it for?" said Molly.

"Minerva," said Hermione.

"Should be something special then, but never to worry, I will have it done in time," said Molly with a smile.

"One less worry, but we still need to get the rest done," said Hermione with a very heavy sigh, wondering if it was even possible to have it all done in time.

* * *

It was the Friday before the big party that Hermione would find herself walking along in Hogsmeade trying to find a present for Minerva. It was just then she realized she had no idea what her Professor actually liked, except for the school, transfiguration and of course Quidditch. She sighed feeling so helpless when she heard Ronald yell, "Hermione!"

She turned and saw him coming towards her, his jacket tucked around him tight this cold autumn day and his cheeks were red from the cold. In fact it was one of the few times she would have considered him handsome. But over the last week much like the weather had turned colder, Hermione had had a change of heart when it came to her boyfriend. Still she gave him a hug saying, "Hey Ron."

"So found a present yet?" he asked, taking her hand as they continued down the street.

"Not yet, I don't know what to give her, have you found anything?" she wanted to know. In between school and party planning she hadn't had the change to ask. All things considered it hadn't been that hard to get all of Hogwarts in on the idea of the party, the only ones that were slightly against it would of course be the Slytherin house.

"I have, I got her socks with the pattern of Gryffindor house and of course something from the magic shop," he said with a smile, with that he of course meant the shop of his brothers.

"Why didn't I think of that, do you know what Harry and Ginny have gotten her?" she wanted to know. Harry had turned out to be quite a prince helping out over the week, in fact it was him that in the end managed to convince the Slytherin's to join in on the party, it was either that or being kicked out of the castle for the weekend and sleep in the forbidden forest.

"Think Ginny said something about beddings and baking a bath of cupcake," he said, as he heard his sister's voice say, "It was cinnamon rolls you idiot."

Ron shrugged at his sister, as Harry greeted them as well saying, "Why so troubled?"

"I can't find a present or something to give her," said Hermione.

"Didn't you say she was sad about Dumbledore's passing?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said.

"Why don't you give her a painting of the two of them or something like it?" he asked her.

"And how do you suppose to make that, wake him up from the dead?" said Ron and rolled his eyes.

"I'll think of something," said Hermione running away to ask a painter about that. It would be hours before the painting was actually done, and Hermione carried through the streets, she was going to hide it in the attic of the castle, when someone held out a foot and she tripped. The painting would of course slip out of her hands ending up getting ripped from stones on the ground.

* * *

Hermione turned seeing Malfoy and Goyle sniggering at her. With a spiteful tone he said, "You should watch where you are going, Granger."

"You are going to pay for ruining that painting," she hissed, getting up and pointing her wand at him.

He backed away; he didn't wish to fight her. She grumbled something looking at the torn picture, sighing. She tried a spell in vain, and another, when she heard Ginny say, "Let me."

She pointed her wand at it and captured something Hermione didn't grasp making the painting as amazing as it had been to begin with. Hermione hugged her saying, "Thank you."

"You are welcome, so is this your only present?" Ginny asked.

"No," said Hermione, not wanting to share what she had actually gotten for the professor. Ginny knew better than to ask, instead she helped Hermione getting the picture back to the castle.

* * *

It was Sunday morning that Minerva had been called away from the castle, much to her dismay. She had planned to sleep long and catch up on so reading for a change. In any case she had gone and the meeting had taken much longer than planned, meaning she wouldn't make it back to dinner at the castle. Grumbling something she figured she would eat at a pub in Hogsmeade, only to find that it was closed. What was it with this day, everything seemed jinxed.

Frustrated and tired she apparated herself back to the castle, figuring if nothing else she could have a cup of tea. Sadly also her elf was missing in action. She sighed as she figured she might as well walk down to the kitchen and fix it herself, after all she was still able to walk no matter how old she was. Walking down the stairs she found she was glad she in short time had managed to rebuild the castle up to its old standards, as it had been before the big battle.

Sighing she wished Albus was still alive, so they could have taken some glasses of fire whiskey, laughed and talked. Sometimes she missed him so much that it hurt. She rounded the end of the stairs she saw one of her students coming towards her, saying, "Professor you got to come, there is a war in the great hall, the Slytherin's are battling everyone else, and it is getting out of hand."

Minerva sighed; this was the only thing missing, students out of hand in the great hall after their meal. This was the worst birthday she could remember thus far. Still she followed the student, after all she was headmistress. Oddly enough as they neared the great hall it didn't come any sound. She looked at the student asking, "Are you sure there was a fight?"

The young girl, which Minerva knew to be a first year Huffelpuff, looked down saying, "I was supposed to get you here as fast as possible, and it was the only excuse I can come up with."

"You could have just asked and who sent you?" Minerva wanted to know. She didn't know if this was a good thing or not yet.

"Everyone," she said, honestly it would take too long to tell the old witch all the names.

Minerva nodded again unsure if it was a good thing or not. She took a deep sigh and opened the door to the great hall. She gasped in surprise when she heard a loud, "Happy birthday Professor McGonagall."

She looked around the great hall all the students were nicely dressed and it seemed that all the houses had gone in on buying presents, even the Slytherin's, about the tables was balloons and banners wishing her a happy birthday. How was this possible, how did they even know she wondered. Then she saw Hermione at the end of Gryffindor table, smiling brightly at her and she knew. She just knew this was all her doing. Looking at her she saw the young eleven year old that once walked through the doors of the school. She was by far one of the most impressive witches she had ever met. As she saw the her standing there next to Harry, Ron and Ginny, in a blue dress, her eyes shining and her. She had really organized all this so that she would have a great birthday. Minerva felt so moved by this that a few tears fell from her eyes and landed on the floor as she walked up to her. She in a dignified way said, "Thank you."

"You are welcome, Professor," she said.

Minerva looked at the cake, it was a replica of the school, it eve had lights in every window. Again she looked at the young woman asking, "Did you bake this?"

"Hardly, I'm not good at baking, I had help," said Hermione, nodding towards Molly that was smiling ever so proudly.

Minerva nodded and said, "Thank you all for this, now I want all to taste this cake, and then I'll open the presents."

* * *

Minerva couldn't remember the last time she had so many presents if she ever had. From the Slytherin's she got a new green robe and some books. A shy little Slytherin girl came over to her and gave her a card she had made, and when Minerva opened it, there came fireworks out of it. From the Huffelpuff's she got a two warm blankets she could use in the winter when it got colder, her old one was worn out. One had the Gryffindor colors and the other had the school logo printed on it. Other than that she got a lot of cards. From Ravenclaw and Gryffindor she got a new broom and floo powder. From the Weasley's a knitted sweater, knitted socks and a new quill. After opening Harry and Ron's presents she turned to Hermione and said, "That leaves you."

The young girl nodded and used magic to conjure the painting and a new hat. Minerva looked at it, tears again in her eyes, saying, "It is beautiful, Hermione, thank you. And a new hat, I needed that."

She was about to put it on when she realized there was something inside the hat, she took it out and looked at it, a locket, round with the letter G engraved. She gave Hermione a hug and said, "Thank you, thank you all for doing this for me."

Everyone shared and the party would continue to early morning, by then Minerva went to bed feeling ever so loved. As she opened the locket she saw what she expected to find, a picture of her and one of Hermione instead. She hung it around her neck at once, letting her hand clench around it tight as she fell asleep.

* * *

Her birthday would be celebrated every year since, but Hermione and Minerva would not become a couple until years later. It was a rainy night when Hermione came to see the old headmistress saying she couldn't live on a lie anymore, she had loved Minerva since that very first birthday. She had tried so long with Ron, but it was for no use. She wanted them to try it she said. Minerva had nodded, showing her the locket still around her neck; she knew it already back then. She hugged the younger woman, holding her tight, glad she had finally come back for her. In her heart she knew they would have many great years ahead. Hermione of course knew the same and that they would live happily ever after.

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Thank you for reading, feedback is always appreciated :o)


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